By Ngozi Nwoke
The agitation and struggle to abolish the Osu caste system has been ongoing over the years in various parts of Igboland. The Osu culture is an age-long practice where an indigene or entire family is banned from a village, rejected, abandoned and excommunicated for committing an abomination or atrocity.
In some eastern states, the government instructed autonomous communities to solve the problem with the so-called Osu, or Ohu, as some parts of Igboland call it.
Such was the case in Obuno Akpugo community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, where 19 kindred units in the community protested to the Enugu Government House and alerted him of possible war if an Osu traditional ruler was imposed on the community.
The case between the Osu and freeborn remained unresolved and made the community live apart, with each community claiming to be autonomous in discharge of communal functions and the implementation of laws.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State addressed the Obuno Ndiuno chieftaincy crisis and warned them that the Ohu social exclusion and discrimination was unconstitutional.
He stated that the practise had no place in the law and expressed disappointment that some people still disobeyed the Nigerian constitution and the Enugu State law that abolished the practice of Ohu caste systems, noting that such culture would not be tolerated by the state government and defaulter will be severely purnished.
“Injustice is very bad and must be discouraged by all. We are all Nigerians and must have equal rights. Referring to someone as Ohu or treating him or her as such is unconstitutional, injustice and inhuman. My administration will not recognize such. It is ungodly,” Ugwuanyi cautioned.
To this modern day, the Osu culture is still being upheld by some parts of Igboland with many families and individuals rejected and stigmatized. Some have permanently relocated to western countries where no such culture exists and have become citizens.
Human rights activists and social advocates have criticized the Osu caste system and called for its abolishment in Igboland. The advocates are of the opinion that abolishing the practice will restore peaceful coexistence, promote and protect human dignity, as well as foster good communal relationships.
An Igbo leader in Lagos, Mr. Solomon Ogbonna Aguene, called for the abolishment of the Osu caste system, noting that the culture existed during the ancient days and must be banned with the reality of modern civilization.
He said: “We are first humans before becoming any other identity. As humans, we should not be treated and treat others like animals. The Osu practice in Igboland is barbaric and inhumane. It is even fair now. Back in the days when I was growing up as a child, my mother used to tell us the level of maltreatment given to people they called outcasts. She said they were stripped naked when banishing them out of the village and left in the maketsquare. I witnessed the banishing of a man they tagged to be an outcast back then in the village. I don’t forget that scenario till date. It was a horrible sight to behold. The man was made to walk a very long distance, with a goat tied to his leg and the villagers flogging him while leading him out of the village to the shrine.
“In my community, it still exists but not as extreme as it used to be. However, I move for the abolishment of Osu practice in the entire Igboland. In this time of modernisation, we should be discussing community developments, human capacity developments, human relations and peaceful collaboration with other neighbouring communities, states, and extend the discussion to other countries and find ways to improve our standard of living in the villages.
“Ironically, most of the so-called outcasts who were able to migrate to foreign countries like the USA and UK are well established today. They are making positive impacts in their Igbo communities abroad. Those impacts should have been brought home for the good of the indigenes in Igboland. But due to the fear of being stigmatized and labeled outcasts by the community, they choose to stay far away. I implore the government, traditional rulers, and people to join in the fight to abolish Osu practice in Igboland.”
Also reacting to the issue, Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers, Lawrence Nnamdi Eze, warned against the osu caste practice, noting that no man has the moral justification to condemn a fellow human.
He said: “It baffles me to still hear and witness people calling their fellow human an outcast. With the presence of innovation, development and modern technology, the practice of Osu and Ohu has been long eradicated. We have embraced modernisation and civilisation. There should not be any such thing as outcasts in Igboland. Anyone still in this dark era, is practising modern day slavery which has been long abolished and which is an unlawful crime before the law.
“The government has become fully aware of the existence of this obnoxious practice and has put down some documented laws to punish anyone found guilty of this crime. The old Eastern region passed a law against this crime long ago. What we call for is the enforcement of that law in all Igbo communities involved in the act.”
The traditional ruler, Isiagu community in Awka South LGA of Anambra State, Igwe Augustine Nwankwo also added: “The Osu caste practice has caused irreparable segregations sections of communities in the Southeast, depriving them the experience and avenue for communal relationships and marriages because of the belief that any ‘free born’ that marries an osu has committed an abominable act the family and the generations to come. “This is why elders would have to trace the background history of the family of both intending couples before any marriage is contracted between them especially when from different communities. This can’t continue like this. We have to join forces with the government and stand for the abolishment of practices like this from our lands. We will do it for the sake of our generation, to save them from destruction and help them enjoy peace in the community.”
Lagos-based human rights activist, Umejiego Christian Sunday, noted: “In my community in Amichi, Anambra State, Osu caste practice is not so rampant. It is not openly practiced, nevertheless, those who have been labelled outcasts in the past are identified by the people of the community and are still being discriminated against only by marriage.
“In other words, outcasts can only marry their fellow outcasts. No freeborn can marry any Osu. It is considered an abomination and the freeborn will be made to face dire consequences or perform some rituals to cleanse him or herself. In my community, an outcast cannot be a title holder or a traditional ruler of the community.”
In the same vein, a leader in Assemblies of God Church, Lagos, Kenneth Akuwuigwe, said: “Based on my religious stand as a bonafide Christian, I don’t believe in the existence of Osu practice. I know that it existed in the past whereby the deities will choose an indigene for sacrifice or ritual performance to cleanse the land and the person or family is labelled an Osu because it was believed that the individual must have committed an abominable act for the deity to have chosen him or her for the ritual.
“Just like that, the person is banished from the village. But that was a pagan practice. Today, Christianity has automatically eradicated such evil practice. We believe that every human is wonderfully created by God almighty and given the gift of life to live and fulfil God’s calling and purpose on earth.
“God’s commandments don’t support murder or undoing anyone. Even before the law, we are equal. We seek equal treatment in the foreign countries, we speak against racism and discrimination by the western countries. How is it that we demand all of these equal rights from western countries, yet we undo and maltreat our own people and fellow indigenes in the community. When we speak of equality, we should remember that we treat other people with unfairness. It is only God that has the power to judge and condemn.”
However, some communities such as Umuezigbe, Umuafukwu, Umuoru and Umuekerekengwa in Obingwa LGA of Abia State do not practice such acts.
To attest to this, an indigene of Umuezigbe autonous community in Abia State, Chief Azaniah Nwoke, said: “We have never had such practice in the history of Obingwa. There were times when we used to practise idol worship, which is also known as African traditional practice. However, ritual killings that involved human sacrifices were never used to appease the deity or cleanse the land. The people only used livestock and animals on the instructions of the chief priest. But all of these practices were in the past. They were ancient practices. Today, we have fully embraced Christianity.”